Barksdale Residence: Modern Dwellings

Featured in The Atlantan (2010), Trends (2010), The Atlanta Business Chronicle (2011), and the Atlanta Journal Constitution (2011).

Featured on the 2010 Junior League Tour of Kitchens.

Winner of the 2011 OBIE Award for “Best Green Home”

Named as Trends’ Top 50 American Homes in 2013.

Designed by Dencity LLC, photos by Mia Broder.

Cablik Enterprises was sought after by clients to build them a home in Atlanta. From the beginning of the project, the clients knew what kind of house they would want to live in: stylish, modern, and certified by LEED to be energy efficient.

The choice to build an energy efficient home affected all of their decisions from the very beginning, facilitating coordination of the plans between the owners, Cablik Enterprises, who would manage the construction process, and Bryan Russell of Dencity Design, who would provide architectural services.

Integrated Project Planning
The team collaborated on this project starting with a conceptual design. Because the focus of this project included LEED eligibility, certain details were addressed at the forefront of the planning process. The house is to be positioned along the east-west axis, allowing the longer side of the building to face south. The southern facade of the building have a large solar shade and small transom windows to minimize the exposure to the sun, which will then reduce heating and cooling costs. The roof is oriented so that a large portion of it faces south and can accommodate solar panels.

The clients also wanted to minimize wasted space. Through extensive interviews and meetings, the contractor, architect and homeowners came up with a comfortable yet efficient floor plan. The large interior courtyard adds nearly 1000SF of useable space that does not require climate control. Careful design eliminated redundant hallways, closets, and rooms. Features such as the subterranean garage kept the overall footprint to a minimum. The use of drought resistant landscaping and a rainwater collection system reduce the need for irrigation from city water. All of these decisions were made early in the project to eliminate potential conflicts between the architectural design and the features that would make this a successful sustainable and energy-conserving building.

Interior Designer Michael Habachy enabled the team to choose interior finishes using post-industrial or post-consumer materials. He provided the clients with a selection of appliances and fixtures that conserve water. Matthew Rao specializes in kitchen design, and worked with the Liottas to create a smaller kitchen that uses fewer materials without sacrificing functionality or aesthetic appeal. He also recommended an induction cooktop that is about 45% more efficient than traditional gas ranges.

Location and Site Selection
Cablik Enterprises helped the clients to select a building site that would have a minimal effect on the environment. The chosen site, located in midtown Atlanta, would require a miniscule amount of tree and debris removal. According to the LEED specifications for Site Selection, the site was checked to ensure that it is not within any water or wetlands; that it will not threaten any endangered species; and that it had not been public parkland prior to acquisition.

Cablik carefully chose a previously developed plot in an established residential area. Redevelopment is preferable because it re-uses existing residential property, rather than building on pristine, undeveloped land. The chosen plot had an existing structure which was unsuitable for renovation due to water damage. Cablik salvaged timber, brick, appliances, hardware, and cabinetry from the existing structure to minimize waste. The in-town Atlanta location places the home within two miles of public transportation, grocery and retail stores, the homeowners office, exercise facilities, park, and a plethora of restaurants and entertainment opportunities. The location will reduce the amount of time the clients spend driving. In turn, this will reduce fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and wear and tear on the local infrastructure and the clients’ vehicles. The clients will have more time at home, leading to an improved and simplified lifestyle.